The present invention relates generally to camera systems and more particularly to identifying counterfeit occurrences in a camera coverage area.
Typically, camera systems are difficult to manipulate electronically due to extensive security protocols installed to prevent unauthorized access. However, image manipulation as captured by a camera can occur, especially in an area heavily populated by objects. For example, jewelry stores include a vast quantity of light reflective items that are often encased in glass enclosures that further reflect and refract light. The vast quantity of light reflective items paired with the light reflect and refract light glass enclosures allow for image manipulation utilizing, for example, mirrors. A glass enclosure with jewelry items that reflects light appears substantially different than a glass enclosure with no jewelry items. However, mirrors can be strategically placed within the glass enclosure with no jewelry items, such that the image reflected in the strategically placed mirrors include jewelry items from surrounding glass enclosures.
The discovery of the strategically placed mirrors will only be apparent to a person once the person is viewing the physical glass enclosure rather than viewing the glass enclosure as an image captured by the camera. The discovery of the strategically placed mirrors is also delayed due to the fact that such an image manipulation can be created at a time when a person might not be able to view the physical glass enclosure for hours, even days. The person viewing the glass enclosure as captured by the camera does not receive any indication that an image manipulation has occurred in the camera coverage area.